


Trials by Fire

by KotOR_Luvr



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Like lots of it, M/M, Self-Insert, Trans Male Character, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:21:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23679808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KotOR_Luvr/pseuds/KotOR_Luvr
Summary: Keith Williams is a brand new survivor that not a lot of people have too much hope on. They've seen a few survivors like him before, and not many make it for too long. But his determination, his will to prove everyone wrong, is what keeps him moving forward.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Keith Williams.**

**Perks:**

_**Loner's Instinct:** _

Years of keeping to yourself and observing the world around you has given you the ability to predict when something is about to go wrong. Gain a 10% speed boost when repairing, sabotaging, healing, unhooking and opening exit gates when within the terror radius of the Killer.

_ **Jumpy:** _

Even when distracted, you still have an air of caution. If you're grabbed when repairing, unhooking or sabotaging, you have a chance of stunning the Killer for 2.5 seconds.

_ **Distraction:** _

Your compassionate heart refuses to let others get hurt. The Killer gains an auditory and visual cue when you're near them while they're in a chase with another survivor.

/ / /

_Life before the Entity was… not as simple as others thought it to be. I had been through a lot, gone through a lot, and yet I still managed to make it through all of it. Maybe that's why the Entity decided to scoop me up. Because I'm a survivor of life. Or maybe just because it wanted to fuck up my life further. Whatever the reason is, it succeeded either way._

_My name is Keith Williams. And, well, this is my story about surviving within the Entity's Realm. It's probably the same as all the other survivors I've met while being here._

/ / /

It had truly been an exhausting day. Work had been tiring, despite it only being a four hour shift. The visit to my parents place ended in a massive argument, once again. The only moments of respite were my cats back at my apartment, and the walk I was taking, now.

There was a lovely trail in the town, in the forest. There's lovely boardwalks, and the forest was pretty during the summer evenings if you ignored the mosquitos.

I was just minding my own business, having a smoke against a tree. It was nice, just listening to the sounds of the forest. The sounds of crickets, cicadas, hearing frogs in the river, the rustling of what I assumed was raccoons in the bushes. I wasn't ever too worried about it, because as long as you respected their space, they'd respect you.

The only time I got concerned was when fog started to set in. I was pretty deep into the trail, and I could easily get lost if the fog was thick enough.

I tossed the cigarette to the ground, smothering it quickly and I started walking down the muddy pathway, heading back in the direction of civilization.

Or so I had thought.

The fog was getting thick really fast, so I just picked up the pace, hoping I'd find the exit of the trail soon. But it wasn't just the fog setting in, there was suddenly taller trees, looming over me in an almost sinister manner. Crows were flying overhead, screeching in the night. I looked down at the ground, noticing that I was no longer on the mud pathway. Did I seriously get lost?!

I started looking around, panic beginning to set in. Where the fuck did I end up?! I knew the trails like the back of my hand: there's no way that I could've gotten lost!

In my stupidity, I kept wandering around, hoping to find the muddy path once again. I had even retraced my steps, hoping to find the original path that I was on before I got lost, but to no avail. I started crying slightly in fear and frustration, hoping and praying that this wasn't happening.

I walked around for a few more minutes, the trees seeming to go on forever. It wasn't until I was ready to give up that I saw some light.

I gasped in surprise and took off towards it, thinking it was the entrance to the trail. I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the sight, thinking my somewhat brief moments of terror were now over.

I watched as the trees started thinning out, and my heart sank as I realized that it wasn't streetlights, but rather a large bonfire, which had multiple people sitting around it. Men and women alike. Slowly and cautiously, I approached them, clearing my throat to let them know I was there.

Many of them looked at me immediately, some of them standing up. I stopped moving then, wringing my hands nervously. "Um… I got lost." I said quietly, my social anxiety hitting me hard. "Uh, do you guys know the way out?"

Several of them looked between one another before looking at me, and I felt my fight or flight kicking in. It was just a bunch of strangers seeing another someone coming out of the woods.

A taller, thin man approached me. He looked somewhat of a mess, his white shirt only half tucked in and stained with dirt. He had a striped tie, and his short black hair was somewhat messy as well. And he had glasses. "If any of us knew the way out, we'd have taken it a while ago…"

I wrung my hands together again, his statement very off-putting. "Um… okay… do you think, like, I could stay with you guys until it's day? Or something…?"

Everyone looked at each other again, confused. I took a step back, suddenly feeling very unwelcome. "I can go, if you want me to."

The man in glasses put a hand on my shoulder. "If you go back into the woods, there's a big chance you'll just get… lost, again. It's best that you stay here."

"Are you sure I'm welcome?"

"It's not like you have anywhere else to go."

Another unsettling statement.

He gently lead me to the bonfire and a few people made room on a log, which I cautiously sat down on. I felt awkward, being between these strangers. Being _around_ strangers in general.

I looked around the campfire, at all these unfamiliar faces. The man in glasses took his seat back beside an older man, who was currently smoking a cigarette, and a thicker-bodied woman. I bounced my leg nervously, wringing my hands together, the silence somewhat bothersome.

I reached in the pocket of my leather jacket, pulling out my own pack of cigarettes. I looked at the two people I was sitting beside. "Uh, do y'all mind if I smoke?"

They both shrugged indifferently, and I took a cigarette out of the package, pocketing the pack and grabbing my lighter. I lit the cigarette in my mouth, pocketing the lighter then as well. My hands were shaking from the anxiety I was feeling, and one of the guys sitting beside me took notice.

He was wearing a black studded vest-jacket, sporting identical looking pants. His hair was unruly and looked fairly thick as well. There was a hint of a moustache on his upper lip. He seemed to have some Asian blood in him as well, considering the tilt of his eyes. Unless I was wrong, which I probably was. "You don't have to really worry about us," He told me, which didn't exactly make me feel any better.

The silence dragged on for what felt like ages before someone came running to the fire, making almost everyone stand up. I looked over to where their heads were turned to, to see two more strangers running to the bonfire. Both looked bloody and exhausted, and I stood in shock, nearly choking on the smoke as I took a sudden intake of breath.

Why the fuck were they bloody, why the fuck were they bandaged, what in the absolute fuck…

The man with glasses ran to them, concern riddled on his face. "Where's Claudette and Quentin?!"

The red haired girl shook her head, and it seemed to be answer enough.

The other girl that was with her seemed almost angry. "It was Michael. He got us by surprise and we weren't able to get Quentin. Claudette tried, but it got her caught too."

A lot of the people around the bonfire looked almost distraught. I took a step back, nearly tripping on the log that was behind me, fear gripping at my heart. "What the fuck…" I whispered.

The red haired girl looked at me, her eye narrowing. "Who's the new girl?"

I cringed at that, tempted to correct her, but I didn't. I just let it be.

Everyone's eyes were then on me, and I suddenly felt very small. I didn't think introductions would really be all that necessary, considering that I wouldn't be hanging around for too long. But, apparently I was wrong.

I felt a nudge from the man with messy hair, and I cleared my throat. "Keith." I told them, but holding off on the last name. Strangers didn't need to know my last name. "My name is Keith."

The other girl, who was sporting a plaid jacket and was wearing a beanie, crossed her arms. "Where you from?"

I gave her a confused expression. "Same place as the rest of you guys. Just in town." I gestured to the woods behind me.

I heard a few chuckles and I saw a few people roll their eyes or shake their heads. The girl with the beanie looked more annoyed than anything. "None of you told this guy about this place?"

"Well, he only just got here a few minutes before you guys got back." The man with glasses told her. "We didn't exactly get a chance to. Besides, he looks freaked out enough…"

"He's gonna be stuck here, so he should know before he ends up in a trial without any warning."

"Trial?" I asked.

She approached me, then, and clapped my shoulder. "You might want to sit down. Whenever anyone else here heard the news, they, well… they never took it too well."

I took her word for it, and I sat myself down, taking a deep puff of the cigarette still between my fingers. I had a bad feeling about all of this, and rarely were my feelings wrong about anything.


	2. Chapter 2

I felt more shock than anything else. Shock, and a small bit of denial. It just has to be a bunch of idiot teenagers and some old guys fucking around. There's no way that this shit could be real. This was just fucking messed up!

"So," Nea caught my attention once more. "If you end up in a trial next, just stick with whoever you end up with in it. We'll help you as much as we can."

I nodded in understanding, now beginning to hope and pray I didn't end up in a trial. It seemed far-fetched now, all things considering, but it didn't hurt to try.

An afterthought struck me. "Do Killers tend to go for new survivors? Like, because we can be pretty easy to catch since we don't know what we're doing."

The guy who had glasses, Dwight, was quick to answer. "It really depends on the Killer. The Huntress sometimes goes easier on new survivors, but I guess she's really… selective."

"Selective?"

He simply shrugged at that. "She sometimes does, but other times she just treats them as if they're not even new. Other Killers like the Legion, they never go easy on anyone."

I nodded again, my leg bouncing nervously. "Oh."

Everyone sat in silence for a few more moments, before I asked another question. "Wait, how do I know when I'm being pulled into a Trial? Does that Entity thing just yoink me out of here?"

I heard a couple people snicker at the sentence and even Dwight was smiling a bit. "More or less." He replied. "Sometimes people just, feel the pull of something and end up wandering into the woods. They keep saying something about fog. Others feel tired and go to sleep. Some of them are just tired, others end up in a Trial."

"Wait, where do you guys even sleep?"

"There's some makeshift tents and shelters we made." He told me. "They're not comfortable, but they give us _somewhere_ to sleep."

I nodded again, feeling a bit more comfortable with the fact that we had some sort of shelter if I felt uncomfortable or unsafe. "What about things like bathing?"

"There's a river somewhere in the woods. We made a path leading to it so we don't get lost."

Good, so if I got bloody or dirty I'd have somewhere to wash. If I ended up in a Trial. _If_ I ended up in one. I was just hoping it wasn't anytime soon.

Not that I wanted to just sit around and do nothing, but I just didn't want to end up in one of those things before I felt ready enough. I wanted to at least ease myself into this place before being placed in a stupid Trial where I'd end up being put under a lot of stress and anxiety. I wasn't even really that fit of a person; running and jumping and just exercise in general wasn't a strength of mine. I wasn't built for it. I'm a gamer, a writer, an artist, I'm not made for physical endurance.

A somewhat bigger fella, David, spoke next. His voice brought me a bit of comfort, as English accents were always nice to listen to. "So, you have any strengths? Weaknesses?"

The thicker woman, Jane, elbowed him, and the man simply shrugged. "Trying to get a feel of what he's like, is all."

I gave a helpless shrug, now exceptionally nervous at telling everyone that I wasn't entirely a _physical_ person. "I don't know what's really helpful around here…"

"Think of this like it's an interview of sorts," David said. "Just some questions."

I shrugged again. "I don't know… I mean, I'm really good with my hands. Writing, gaming, art, and I do enjoy tinkering with things." I gestured with my hands a bit to articulate what I was explaining. "Good motor skills. I can think fast, as long as I'm not too stressed out." I snapped my fingers. "Oh, and I'm a pretty fast learner! I sometimes get nervous, though… I don't like messing things up in front of people."

The Asian looking man, Jake, seemed to perk up at that. "You'd be pretty good with sabotage then!" He exclaimed. "I can teach you that, if we end up in a Trial together."

I smiled half heartedly, somewhat touched by the offer. At least these guys didn't see me as a detriment or just some deadweight. They saw _something_ in me that could be useful.

"Alright," David said, seeming to ponder the things I've told them. "What about weaknesses?"

My heart immediately sank and I clasped my hands together, the bouncing in my leg a bit more intense. "Dunno if I wanna share that, right now…"

Jane elbowed David again and she spoke next, her voice soft and gentle. "There's no room for judgement, here. We all have them, even ones who have been around for a long time."

I shrugged again, not really comfortable with telling strangers personal things about myself right off the bat. I'm not really sure how much time had passed since I got here, but it definitely wasn't more than a day. They didn't need to know…

Dwight took note of my reluctance to speak and he cleared his throat. "If you tell us, we'll be able to help you a lot better. Knowing what might, you know, screw you over."

I took out my pack of cigarettes and took one between my teeth, pulling out of the pack with practiced ease. I lit it quickly, breathing in deeply, and savouring the slight burn as the smoke went into my lungs. It wasn't a good way to cope with stress or anxiety, but it was all I had right now. "I'm a nervous person." I stated bluntly. "Anxiety. It's why I don't like messing up, or getting into things that stress me out. I don't respond well to it at all. And…" I gestured with my free hand as I took another puff of the cigarette. "I have issues with depression. I don't perform well when I'm depressed."

"Do we need to hide anything sharp or harmful from you?"

I looked up, stunned at the question. Dwight had an extremely concerned look on his face, and I was quick to shake my head in response. "No. No, you don't. My days of cutting and shit are over."

He nodded, letting out a quiet breath. "Alright, good. Anything else we should know?"

I shrugged for what felt like the dozenth time. "I'm not good with physical stuff. I'm not made for that shit."

I heard David chuckle and I gave him a dirty look. "Well, you're definitely going to be built for it, mate. After a few trials, that is."

I sighed a little bit and just continued to smoke my cigarette. I still wasn't eager for my first Trial. Some part of me just _knew_ I'd be the first one to be picked off. It was just how shit worked. The weakest ones are always singled out first.

And yet, I had that small glimmer of hope that I'd somehow make it out alive. Somehow…

I saw Dwight stand up and everyone looked where he was, to see two strangers, probably other survivors, running towards the fire. A lot of people got up, then, running to the two survivors. It was a clamour of words, and there were hugs exchanged, claps on the shoulder, some reassuring nods. Wait, if those were the two survivors who didn't make it out of the Trial, how did they end up here?

They did seem tired, though. Exhausted, more like.

Jake nudged me slightly, and I looked over to him. "That's Claudette and Quentin." He informed me. "Whenever people don't survive a trial, we always end up excited when they come back."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes, people don't come back."

I felt my heart sink at that, and I took a deep puff of my cigarette. So much for hoping to get out of here, I thought.

"But be ready," He quickly told me. "When the remaining survivors are back, that means another Trial is gonna be soon."

"How soon?"

He shrugged again. "Soon. And sometimes it isn't a single Trial. Sometimes, we disappear in groups all at once. There were three active Trials, once."

"How many people are in a Trial?" I asked.

"Four."

I felt myself ease up slightly at that news. At least there was a chance that I would make it if there was four people in one Trial.

The man patted my shoulder once, and gave me a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine. Just, try to find someone else. And don't try repairing a generator on your own, you'll need someone else to teach you the ropes."

I nodded and watched as the survivors all started coming back to the bonfire and I felt my chest tighten. "Um… I'd like to just, take a bit of a walk." I said, feeling the anxiety creeping up on me. "I'm still not feeling alright around a bunch of people."

Jake gave me a small nod, but it seemed almost tense. "Don't wander off too far." He warned me.

I nodded as I got up, flicking my cigarette into the bonfire. As I walked away from the group, I breathed a slight sigh of relief at the lack of feeling crowded.

I leaned heavily against a tree, keeping the bonfire in view but keeping enough distance so that I wouldn't really be noticed. I didn't want to be called back, right now.

I was tempted to pull out another cigarette but I swallowed back the craving as best as I could. This pack was almost empty and I only had one more pack in my other pocket. I didn't know if I'd find any more in this place, so I wanted to smoke more sparingly.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the tree, just listening to the sounds of the forest around me. I could hear the roar of the bonfire, the chattering of the other people sitting around it. I could hear the wind, hear the creaking of the tree branches, the faint whispers of voices around me.

My eyes shot open at that, and I looked around, wondering if someone else was around me. I looked behind me as well, but there was nobody near me. The only other people were the ones at the fire.

My eyes trailed to the woods off to my right, and the whispers got a bit louder. I looked back at the fire, wondering if anyone was watching. Satisfied that nobody was, I pushed myself off the tree and wandered into the woods a bit more, wondering where the whispers were coming from.

The deeper I went, the louder they got. I never thought to call out, my curiosity keeping me intent on just searching.

I pushed past some bushes, wincing as I felt thorns prick through my jeans and scratch at my hands, and the whispers became almost deafening.

I soon reached a clearing and the whispers seemed to quiet down, and I looked around, confused.

My eyes fell onto a large rock within the clearing, and I saw a single crow land on top of it, fluttering its wings slightly as it perched on the rock.

The whispers died down entirely, then, and I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes at the black bird. It merely cocked its head at me, cawing slightly.

I approached the large rock and it flew off, screeching at me as if in annoyance. With another sigh, I leaned against the rock and slid down into a sitting position, somewhat annoyed with the fact that I lost whatever I was chasing after. I was just curious to find out what the whispers were, is all…

I closed my eyes again as I leaned my head back against the rock, just content with listening to the sounds around me. The air seemed… almost stale, here. And colder. Somehow just so much colder. Almost smelled like winter, even though it was warm back where the fire was.

I felt somewhat tired, and despite my instincts screaming for me not to, I felt like a small rest wouldn't hurt. It wasn't like there was anything dangerous around, nothing I was told about, anyways.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt a hand cover my mouth, and I screamed into it, instinctively scratching and clawing at it. I heard someone grunt and I felt an arm wrap around my torso, holding me in place in an attempt to stop my struggling.

"Oy, knock it off, mate!" I heard someone hiss, the voice distinctly English. "Stop struggling, you'll get us spotted!"

I did my best to relax as I recognized the voice of one of the survivors from back at the bonfire. I slowly relaxed my grip and gently pulled his hand from my mouth, glaring evilly at him. "What the fuck do you-"

He covered my mouth again and shushed me, looking around warily. " _Shush_!" He scolded me, his voice barely above a whisper. "You went missing and when Jake told us you went to take a walk, I went out to look for you. I don't know who else is with us, but we're in a Trial."

My eyes shot wide open at that and I shoved his hand from my mouth once more. " _What_?!" I ground out, my heart beginning to race once more.

"We're in a Trial." He repeated, looking around us once more. "We're at Mount Ormond Resort. Although it is rare, I'm hoping the Killers of this domain aren't the ones we're going against."

"Why?" I asked, bringing myself to a crouching position, now feeling overly cautious.

He looked at me, his expression that of despair. "Because, if we're facing them, there's no way you're going to make it out of this Trial alive."

/ / /

Once he had calmed me down somewhat, we moved from behind cover, and I noticed that the area around me had changed. What once was a clearing now had plenty of trees, rocks, and other structures and obstacles littered around it. Crows seemed to be everywhere, too.

Central to all of this was a massive building, which I assumed was the resort David was talking about. Snow dusted everything in this Trial, which explained why things felt cold just before I started falling asleep.

As I followed David, I started berating myself for not listening to what Jake had told me. The whispers… I guessed they were just the Entity luring me into a Trial. I was just being too fucking stupid to realize it.

I bumped into David, being too distracted to take note of where I was moving, and I whispered an apology, but he seemed undeterred. He was too busy looking around to make sure the Killer, whoever they were, wasn't hanging around.

I guess the coast was clear, because he took my hand and lead me towards a structure built from logs. "This way," He told me.

I blindly followed, not sure what he was doing. We weaved through the structure, almost maze-like, and I realized he was taking me to a generator!

I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of someone else, who briefly paused in his work to look up at who was approaching. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thought you were the Killer." He said. He pointed to me, then. "You're the new guy, right?" I nodded, to which he then said, "I'm Steve. Didn't exactly introduce myself back at the fire-"

David quickly approached the generator and shushed Steve, who I had shyly waved at. "This isn't a meet n' greet," David scolded us. "Come on, Keith. We'll help you with this generator."

I swallowed deeply and looked around, my nervousness starting to get the better of me. I looked back at the two other guys on the generator, who seemed intent on the work in front of them, and I sighed quietly before crouching down in front of the machine.

David stopped working, then, and moved closer to me. "Alright, so, it's not a bunch of pulling wires and pressing buttons," He quickly explained. "Actually, don't pull wires at all!"

He pointed to a yellow one, which had a plug at the end of it. "Just match it with the yellow one, here," He pointed at the plug jack, which had a yellow ring around it. "And then press the button above it to make sure it's working properly."

I did as instructed, but I couldn't help but notice a few other things inside the generator that seemed a bit off. "What about this, here?" I asked, pointing at some gears which seemed to be stuck, prevented from turning. Before the man could respond, I pushed and wiggled them slightly, until they fell into place, and then they began to move properly.

David seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Right, don't jump ahead like that, but that was a smart thing to do." He informed me. "For now, just stick with the chords and buttons, and try not to touch much of anything else."

I nodded in response and did as I was told, not wanting to mess anything up. We all worked quickly and quietly then, the generator getting loud as we continued repairing it.

This all seemed simple enough, I thought. And it didn't seem like the Killer was anywhere nearby. If Trials were going to be this simple, then maybe I'll make it out of them!

I heard a faint sound out in the distance and, looking away from where my hands were, I noticed some lights on in the distance, and saw a figure moving away from them. Who was that?

My distraction, however brief it was, costed me as the generator blew up in front of my face, making me yelp in shock and cover my eyes. "Fuck, that was bright!"

The other two seemed undeterred by it. "Just keep going," David said. "We're almost done!"

I nodded and resumed working, glad that neither of them seemed too upset with my mistake. However, despite the relieved feeling, I couldn't help but have this sense that something was up. My heart wasn't racing, but it was like I could hear it in my ears. The sound grew distinctly louder, and I found it to be more of a nuisance than anything else.

That is, until both Steve and David caused the generator to overload. Steve took off in the direction behind him and David vaulted through an opening in the wall, pausing briefly to look back at me. "What are you doing?!" He yelled.

I looked at him, both concerned and confused, until I felt an almost overwhelming presence behind me. Before I could react, I felt something, someone, grab at my shoulder.

Screaming in both shock and fear, I whipped around and elbowed whoever grabbed my shoulder, making them grunt loudly in response.

This person seemed to be the source of why I could hear my own heartbeat, which was now racing, pounding at my chest. Dressed all in black, sporting some leather straps, and a cloak as well, this person rubbed slightly at their stomach where my elbow had connected with.

I looked up at the taller person, fear refusing to let me move. It wasn't the fact that I had just been scared out of my mind from being grabbed so suddenly, it was just… the mask.

It was white in colour, with some barely visible blood stains. The eyes were long and curved, a permanent expression of despair, and the mouth was elongated, a constant scream.

The figure stood straight and looked down at me, and I suddenly felt incredibly small, and I leaned slightly against the generator behind me, grasping to it for support.

The figure did nothing, at first, just looking down at me, their head tilting to the side as if in curiosity. I could hear their breathing; heavy, deep, almost feral. I was about to say something to them, until they raised their knife.

Now fuelled by fear, I dodged out of the way and I heard the clang of the knife against metal, and I took off behind them, the full weight of the situation hitting me like a truck.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_ ," I kept cursing to myself, realizing that I almost got stabbed by that fucking guy! With David watching! Jesus, he must think I'm absolutely fucking stupid…

However, that was the least of my concerns now as I looked behind me, cursing once more as I noticed the Killer was catching up to me, knife raised and ready to strike.

I looked at my surroundings, trying to find something or someone that could help me. I didn't see much of anything other than the wooden structures. And then my eyes fell onto two boulders that were side by side, a heavy wooden pallet leaning against one of them.

My hopes soared and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, not bothering to look behind me, knowing that the sight of the Killer behind me would only make me falter.

I looked at the ground briefly, to make sure I was stepping on solid ground, not wanting a simple trip to be my downfall. The only thing I did notice was a slightly red light just behind my feet and, briefly, I remembered Nea mentioning something they called a "red stain" - something that told you just how close the Killer was to you.

I did my best to not let that get to me, focusing solely on the pallet in front of me. It was so fucking close…

I heard the whoosh of the knife behind me and I tripped slightly, feeling the breeze of the metal on my neck. I picked myself back up, the pallet almost within reach!

Just as I came upon it, I noticed a bit of the red stain in front of me, and I took a slight leap forward, bringing me in front of the pallet, and with a cry, I pulled down heavily on it, bringing the wood down on top of the Killer behind me.

They breathed heavily in pain, and I couldn't help but watch as they merely rolled their shoulders and neck, seeming to brush it all off in a flash. They just stood there, then, staring at me, making me feel incredibly uneasy. I should be running, I should be doing _something_. But my feet refused to let me move.

My breathing was erratic, ragged, and shallow, and I had to swallow a bit to moisten my dry throat, coughing a bit as well. I heard the faint sound of a bell again, and noticed that the generator I had run from was now finished, but they didn't seem too interested in the fact that there could be one or two survivors there. They just kept staring.

I backed up slightly and they tilted their head once again, but they kept the knife at their side, unlike back at the generator when they had first caught me.

I got a better look at the Killer, and he was most definitely male judging from the body type. Broad shoulders, a masculine figure accentuated by the cloak and leather he was wearing. He was also goddamn tall, but I was guessing that all the killers would be compared to me, considering I was hardly even five-foot-three.

His leather gloves were coated in dried blood, and I thought he might have gotten someone else before he got to the three of us at the generator, but I didn't hear anybody screaming, so I'm guessing it was just from past trials. The knife was clean, anyways.

His head straightened out and he took a sudden move forward, to which I jumped back, my fight or flight kicking in. I heard a deep laugh behind his mask, and I glared slightly.

And then, to my surprise, he spoke.

"You're definitely a fresh one."

My eyes widened and then it was my turn to tilt my head. "You… talk?"

Another laugh. "No shit. I'm a person, just like you."

"But… the others said that Killers don't really talk. And most aren't human."

Despite the mask he wore, I could tell he was grinning just by the tone in his voice. "People who kill for sport aren't hardly human. So, they're right. In some respects."

Another ding, another generator done. But he still didn't move, didn't jump over the pallet, didn't do anything to clear the obstacle between us. I wrung my hands together, anxiety gripping at my heart.

"Why are you talking to me, then… aren't you supposed to like… you know?"

There was a pause, then. An uncomfortable one, and I was just about ready to run and put more distance between us until I heard him chuckle, which was once more somewhat muffled by his mask.

"I like playing with my food…" He growled low, the knife slowly coming back up. As if that one statement wasn't enough to freak me out, he then added, "A bit of fear makes things so much more fun."

He raised his foot and kicked at the pallet in front of him, which appeared to already be cracked from the force in which I had thrown it down. Although my limbs still burned from the last sprint I did, I took off behind me, hearing the wooden pallet shatter as he kicked it once more.

I just kept running. To where? I didn't really know. Just as long as it was away from him. _Far_ away.

Remembering Nea's advice, I ran towards one of the wooden structures, trying to find another pallet or maybe a window or something to jump through. Upon seeing one, I jumped through it immediately, my foot catching slightly as I vaulted. I picked myself up once more, quickly evaluating my surroundings.

It was just a wall on my right; no pallet or anything to help, just the window that I jumped through. Well, I thought, maybe I could work with this!

Another small distraction nearly costed me as I felt something tear at my leather jacket and I jumped and yelped once more, looking behind me to see that the Killer had caught up to me. " _Boo_!" He yelled.

I ran once more, just kept running, didn't want to be caught, or hurt. I just wanted to get the absolute fuck out of this place!

I ran around the wall and then out into the open, seeing another pallet at a different structure. With a bit of luck, I was hoping to be able to reach it in time.

I heard the distinct sound of cloth behind me and just as I looked, I felt the sharp, fiery pain of metal tearing through the flesh of my back, and I shrieked at the sudden intense feeling. Instead of letting the pain get to me, I let the sudden burst of it aid me, briefly sprinting as fast as I could before the pain in my back got to me.

I looked behind me once more, only to see that the Killer had left me. The beating of my heart was intense, but I couldn't hear it in my ears, and I took that as a good sign. I leaned heavily against a tree, groaning and whimpering as I felt blood stain my shirt under my jacket, the cold wind like a piercing sensation on the torn flesh.

"This'll get infected…" I told myself.

Tears stung at my eyes and my hand bunched up into a fist, and I scolded myself for letting the stupid Killer get so close to me. I should've just ran when I had the chance!

I heard a distant bell, another generator done. I had lost count at this point, not that it really mattered. I felt it didn't, anyways.

I felt someone else nearby, and I sighed heavily, thinking it was the Killer again. But when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, I whipped around to see Dwight looking at me, his eyes staring at the gaping wound in my back.

"I… here, let me help!" He said quickly, pulling some medical supplies out from his pockets. "It won't do much, but it will help stop the bleeding!"

I winced as he rubbed some sort of cream on the wound, the stinging almost a welcome sensation compared to the throbbing pain of it. He then put some dressing over it and used medical tape to keep it on. I sighed in relief, as although the pain was far from gone, it was definitely dulled down. "Thanks."

He nodded in response. "What happened back there?" He asked, gesturing to where I had been mere moments before. "He just… stared at you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know." I replied honestly. "He talked to me, but… I guess it was just to distract me."

"Ghostface is an asshole." He quickly said, almost spitting out the name he used. "He's done that kind of stuff before. Just… don't let him get too close. He'll act friendly just to try and get a free hit on you. And don't get caught by him. He's not… right in the head. None of the Killers are, but he… he just…" He trailed off, as if I would somehow get what he was meaning.

I just nodded and took a deep breath. "Um… can we find a generator, or something? I kinda feel useless…"

He nodded and started heading towards a different structure, one that had been hiding behind a hill, and there a generator sat on the inside of it, untouched it seemed, as it wasn't making any sounds.

"With any luck, David and Steve will be able to keep Ghostface occupied so we can finish this."

We both knelt down and I remembered the brief instruction that David had given me, and I just focused on the plugs and buttons, despite there not being too many on the side I was working on. Well, maybe if I tried the thing with the gears again…

It seemed to work as the generator sparked to life, the pumps moving and the generator humming. Despite the fact that there was a bloodthirsty killer on the loose, I felt more relaxed doing something that I could actually be good at with some practice.

We heard a scream and Dwight looked around, fear written on his face. "He got hit, but he should be fine." He told me. Or maybe he was telling himself. I just hummed in response regardless, trying my best to focus on the generator in front of me. I didn't want to mess up like last time…

We both worked diligently on the generator, and the longer we worked, the louder it got. It seemed to be almost done, since the pumps were all moving at a swift speed, and just when I thought we'd make it out, I ended up pressing a button just before I finished plugging a chord into a jack, causing the generator to overload. I yelped in shock and covered my face, coughing from the black smoke that came from the machine.

"Just keep going!" Dwight told me. "We're almost done!"

I nodded and knelt down once again, my fingers beginning to shake slightly from the adrenaline I was feeling. I couldn't understand why I was feeling such a rush, though. We were safe, I couldn't hear the sound of my own heart.

And yet… and yet, something seemed so off. I felt like I was being watched, I felt so _exposed_.

Then it hit me.

I removed myself from the generator and looked around just in time to see the Killer, Ghostface, vaulting the window that was behind us, and I cursed loudly. "Fuck! Dwight, run!"

His reaction was swift and as I ran past him, he just barely dodged a swing of Ghostface's knife. Despite my desire to help him, I just kept running, through the maze-like structure of wooden logs, and back out into the open, hoping to put as much distance between myself and Ghostface as possible.

I looked behind me to see him hot on my trail, and Dwight running in the opposite direction. What the fuck, why was he so intent on me?!

I ignored the burning in my limbs and kept running, ignoring the still present sting in my back as I tried to breathe deeply. I wasn't an entirely hopeless runner. If it wasn't for the forced attendance of Track and Field back in school, I never would've known how to keep myself from passing out whenever I ran.

I kept my sight forward for a short time, that feeling of being exposed around the Killer not quite going away. Despite my best efforts, Ghostface was still catching up to me, and I didn't see a single thing in sight that would help me put some distance between myself and the Killer.

So, I did the next best thing, and ran straight into the Resort.

Of course, Ghostface followed, and with a quick look at my surroundings, I took the flight of stairs next to me, running up to the second floor of the Resort. I then ran through an open door, which lead to the outdoor balcony, where I saw a pallet leaning against the wall to my right. I looked at my feet once more, and I could see the red stain directly behind my heels.

Perfect, I might be able to make it!

My hopes were short lived, however, as I heard the sound of a knife cutting through the air just before it stabbed into my shoulder blade, tugging down harshly. I cried out once more as my feet gave out from under me, grunting loudly as I landed on the cold wooden ground of the balcony.

I whined and breathed heavily, looking ahead of me to see that the pallet was just ahead. I wasn't fast enough, wasn't fast enough…

Another bell, and I heard a siren sound, signalling that the final generator had been finished. Meaning that the exit gates were ready to be opened.

Meaning I could be left behind…

I yelped and cried as Ghostface twisted the knife just before pulling it out, harming me further. Not that he cared… he was a fucking Killer for god's sake!

I heard his heavy breathing under his mask, and a breathless chuckle. "New survivors are always so easy to catch…"

I felt an arm wrap around me and he heaved me over his shoulder, and for a brief moment I wondered just how strong this guy was. I was a solid 200 pounds if not more; how was he able to lift me so easily?!

He carried me back inside and, remembering what Nea had told me in case I got caught, I started to wiggle and writhe in his grasp, kicking my legs slightly. I didn't want to move too much because of my injury, but the will to live was far greater than my desire to reduce pain.

I elbowed slightly at the back of his head, to which he just grunted. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?"

"Fuck you!" I roared, my wiggling now increasing in intensity. His grip didn't seem to falter too much, however, and as we reached the bottom floor of the Resort, I noticed that he wasn't taking me outside to a hook, which was both relieving but concerning.

We went down another flight of stairs, and I panicked once I realized where he was taking me.

Nea had told me that the basement was the last place that I wanted to be hooked in, not that I wanted to be hooked at all, but sometimes it was just out of our control. But since I was new, there was a chance that the Killer, no matter who they were, might defend the basement if I ended up being hooked in it, which meant I might not be saved.

I did my best to wiggle out of his grip with more ferocity, and just when I felt I was about to slip out, his grip shifted so his hands were on my hips, and I felt myself be lifted briefly before coming down onto the sharp, curved metal of a sacrificial hook.

I couldn't prevent the ear piercing, blood curdling shriek of pain from leaving my throat as my full weight came down onto the hook, the sharp metal tearing through the flesh of my back, scraping against bone, shredding the muscles, and coming back out through my chest, the metal tearing the hole in my body more open slightly as Ghostface released me, letting me hang there like a freshly butchered animal. I felt tears sting at my eyes, and I didn't bother to hold them back, sobs wracking throughout my body, causing the metal hook to rub painfully inside me.

My body couldn't stop twitching, I couldn't stop crying, or whimpering. I just wanted to get out, I just wanted to leave. I looked up to see Ghostface staring at me, and despite knowing what he was, I still had some hope that he might have some form of humanity left, of sympathy. Maybe he'd let me go, maybe he'd just leave and let someone come and get me. Maybe, just maybe…

He tilted his head and crossed his arms, stepping forward, his face now almost perfectly level with mine. Through the pain, I managed to speak. "Leave… leave me alone." I said weakly.

"Why would I do that?" He asked, almost too casually. "This is much more fun. Seeing you like this, so weak and vulnerable…" He audibly licked his lips, and I shuddered in disgust, the feeling to vomit now strong. "It's… _thrilling_."

I turned my head away from him, the implications definitely not missed. So, _that_ is what Dwight was meaning.

He stood there in silence as I continued to remain on the hook, and I noticed the glowing form of what the others called the Entity starting to take shape at the base of the post, and I felt my hope diminishing. Maybe the other three left already, maybe I really was going to die in this Trial…

I flinched as I felt a gloved hand touch my cheek, wincing as the sudden movement caused the hook to move as well. Ghostface grasped my chin roughly, turning me to face him.

"You seem different."

"We're… all different." I shot back, still feeling spiteful towards the Killer.

He shook his head. "No. You're more different than any of the other survivors. I can feel it…"

His hand trailed down to the zipper of my leather jacket, and I sneered at him, feeling bold enough to raise my legs. My lash was successful as my knees came into contact with his chin, knocking the Killer back briefly.

He rubbed where I had struck him, and I could practically feel the rage emanating from him. "Little shit…" He growled.

He lunged forward, hand on my throat, his knife coming dangerously close to my face. "Normally, I'm a bit nicer towards you fresh survivors, but… I think I'll make an exception for you."

I cried out as the knife slashed across my cheek, and I tried pulling his hand off my throat, trying my best not to make the hook dig into me more than it already was.

His breathing was suddenly heavy, and I heard a deep chuckle coming from him. "Nobody's here to help you… and I'm gonna make sure you suffer."

"You sure about that, mate?"

The grip around my throat was suddenly gone as David ran full force into Ghostface, knocking him clean onto the floor. While that happened, Steve came running down the stairs and, gripping under my arms, lifted me off the hook. "Look, we have to _run_!"

The will to live, to make it out of this fucked up Trial, outweighed the searing pain in my shoulder, and I took off just behind Steve. I heard footsteps behind us and instead of ignoring them, I looked behind us.

David was right behind us.

So was Ghostface.

I ignored the Killer. I ignored everything. All I cared about was making it out alive, _surviving_!

David cried out behind me and much like what had happened to me when Ghostface struck me, he had a brief burst of speed, which had him running beside me. He held his right side, where I could see the tear in his shirt where Ghostface had gotten him. " _Book it_!" He yelled, and both me and Steve started sprinting towards what I could only assume was the direction of the Exit Gate.

We weaved through various trees and sure enough, there was Dwight, waiting at the exit gate, his hand resting on the lever. Once he saw us, he pulled it down, the gate opening almost immediately. The ground underneath us shook slightly, and the air seemed hotter, and a bell sounded. The End Game, Nea called it.

So, they really _did_ wait for me…

I heard a knife slicing through the air, and tugging at the leather of my jacket. Motherfucker tried slicing me!

I didn't let that bother me, however, as we passed the large door of the exit gate, my hopes soaring. We were going to make it out!

Dwight, seeing just how close Ghostface was, charged behind us and cried out as Ghostface slashed at his chest, blood dripping onto the stone ground.

That bought us enough time, however, to make it past the exit and out into the open, and I was thankful that Dwight had been willing to take a hit for us.

I looked over my shoulder as we ran, and all I saw was Ghostface. Simply staring. That stupid fucking stare.

A part of me hoped I'd never see the white of his mask ever again…

/ / /

The fog soon cleared and we were back at the campfire, where several survivors got up and ran over, greeting us and checking to see if we were alright.

I saw Claudette push through the crowd with what looked like a medical kit in her hand. "Any injuries?" I heard her ask.

Steve was quick to answer. "David and Dwight are hurt. Keith… he got hooked."

Her attention was suddenly on me and she lead me past where the fire was, where a few survivors still were sitting. "I'm fine-"

"No you're not. I need to take care of the injury right away or you'll never end up having it healed."

I didn't challenge her, then, feeling far too exhausted to. Just a short way away from the fire was the shelters that Dwight had told me about before the Trial. We went inside a makeshift shelter, made from bark and branches, and sat me down on top of a thin blanket. "Mind getting rid of the jacket and shirt?"

I nodded my head but didn't speak, once again feeling far too tired to even talk much. Out of breath, really. I unzipped my leather jacket and set it beside me and, hesitantly, removed my t-shirt.

She checked the puncture wound that the hook left, and she opened the medical kit. It had the usual stuff: cream, needles and string for stitches, disinfectant, gauze, bandages, and a few other things I didn't really remember what they were for.

"I got injuries on my back, too."

"Let's take care of this, first."

I nodded and winced as I felt her apply some cream around the edges of the hook wound, and I nearly swore when she sprayed disinfectant onto it. I thought she would stitch it up, but when she didn't, I became confused.

Until I felt the skin on my chest beginning to shift slightly. Upon looking down, I noticed the wound beginning to close itself, and I could feel it on my back as well. I watched in fascination as the flesh sealed itself. "What the fuck…"

Claudette merely shrugged. "Just something the Entity gave us, I guess. Probably because it would take too long to heal on its own. It works, so I'm not questioning it."

She then moved around me to tend to the wounds on my back. I thought she would do the same thing with them, but she just used some cream and then gauze and medical tape, just like Dwight had done in the Trial. "This will heal in a few hours. Another 'gift' from the entity."

I just nodded, no longer wanting to question anything in this fucked up realm. I looked down at my clothes, which were still torn from the Trial. "Um… Are there any clothes I could wear…?"

She shrugged helplessly. "Not that I know of. Our clothes kind of… patch themselves up. Another Entity thing, I guess. Don't want to be in a Trial without clothes on."

She laughed slightly and I chuckled, still wincing at the slight pain from the wounds on my back.

"You should rest up." She told me, closing the med kit and standing. "Your first Trial was probably exhausting."

I nodded my head and, despite the blood on it, I put my shirt back on, feeling a lot better with it. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard her come back to the shelter.

"By the way, Keith?"

I groaned and opened my eyes, looking at her.

She gave me a thumbs up and a smile. "We all support you. And if anyone, I mean _anyone_ , doesn't respect you? Trust me, they're gonna regret it."

I smiled back at her and nodded. "Thanks. Really."

She left me then, and I closed my eyes once more, doing my best to make myself more comfortable on the ground. My first Trial, I thought. It was… somewhat easy, but it got way too dangerous around the end.

Fucking Ghostface, I thought. I definitely didn't want to see him again, but if I did? I was going to kick his balls. _Twice_.


	3. Chapter 3

My dreams had been plagued with a nightmare, nightmares of the Ghostface. Just, the way he had hurt me, the way he threatened me, how he had touched me, however brief it was… it just  _ haunted me _ .

Thankfully my nightmares hadn’t caused any disturbances. I had always been worried since I was a small kid about screaming because of nightmares, but I apparently never really screamed when having them.

I sat myself up, rubbing at my tired eyes. I then yawned, stretched, and got myself up. After reminding myself where I was, I just decided to head back to the bonfire, knowing there wouldn’t really be anything to do other than wait until I was yoinked into a trial.

Much to my relief, as Claudette had said, my clothes were completely clear of any gashes or tears or rips, at least, the ones formed by the Killer. So, my shirt and my leather jacket were void of any exposing rips.

As I approached the campfire, I noticed it was almost completely devoid of life aside from one other, Dwight. I sat myself beside him. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Most are in a Trial.” He informed me. “Yui and Meg are out looking for offering materials.”

I tilted my head, now curious, as I sat down on the log. “‘Offering materials’?” I asked.

Dwight poked at the fire, ashes and sparks flying as the stick scratched against the burning wood. “Yeah. Sometimes the Entity takes offerings from the Killers and us as well. Some bring luck, others can bring us to certain areas in a Trial, others can help us with our experiences in Trials.”

“Experience?”

Dwight looked at me, then. “You didn’t see the web when you slept?”

I stayed silent, now completely confused, to which Dwight sighed.

“It’s really hard to explain. See, sometimes when we sleep, our heads kinda take us to this web of sorts. We still don’t know if it’s a dream world or what it is. But it lets us earn things, in a sense. Like items to help us in Trials.”

“What, do those things just appear in your hands then?”

He shook his head. “No, but they still…  _ appear _ , in a sense. We have an old shed where we keep our stuff. Sometimes they appear there. Without those items I’m not sure if we’d survive those Trials for too long.”

I nodded my head, then, still confused but at least a little more enlightened. “This place just gets stranger and stranger the longer I stay in it…” I muttered, pulling out my cigarettes and taking one from the pack, lighting it quickly.

“It’s gonna get weirder.” He said. “Not just because of the Killers, either.”

We sat in silence, then, and I began to ponder about the clearing I had encountered earlier, before I got pulled into a Trial. Sure, it could’ve just been a clearing in the forest, but at the same time, it didn’t seem entirely normal.

Still, I couldn’t help but ask the question. “I saw a clearing earlier. When I went to take a walk before being pulled into the Trial. That’s just a thing, right?”

Dwight became concerned over the question. “Try staying away from that spot. Unless you’re needing offering materials.”

“Why?”

“It’s a crossroads, of sorts.” He explained. “Between the different realms of the Killers. They can go to it too, and even though they can’t kill us outside of Trials, it’s still really dangerous to go there.”

Another curious thing. “They can’t kill us outside of Trials?”

“No. The Entity doesn’t allow it.” His expression turned grim. “But they can still hurt us. Some Killers don’t seem bothered by us if we’re in their realm, but others are  _ really _ territorial and don’t like us being there.”

“Oh.”

There were no more questions after that. I didn’t really have many anyways, none that couldn’t be answered later. I tried my best to keep quiet around others because I knew I could talk a lot.

It wasn’t too long after our discussion that we heard footsteps approaching the bonfire and we both looked to see David, Nea and Kate running to the fire. They seemed ininjured, but they were missing one person.

“-swear I got rid of all those stupid totems!” I heard Kate yelling.

Nea seemed pretty pissed off at that. “And yet he  _ still _ had that fucking hex!”

Dwight stood up and approached them. “What happened?”

David wiped at his brow, where sweat had been accumulating. “We were against Kreuger. He had that death hex active at the end of the Trial. Quentin didn’t make it.”

“He’ll be back, eventually.” Dwight tried reassuring him. “He’s strong.”

I stayed seated on the log, bouncing my leg a little bit. People coming back from Trials meant that another one could be starting soon, which meant I could be pulled into one. That alone made me exceptionally nervous.

As they came back to the fire, David sat directly beside me, almost startling me. “So, awake from your nap, are you?”

I nodded, pulling out another cigarette.

“Get taken to the web?”

I shook my head, lighting it and breathing the tobacco deeply.

There was a brief silence before he broke it once more. “You good, mate? You seem off.”

I shrugged my shoulders as I breathed out. “Naw, just… thinking. About things.”

David clapped my shoulder and I nearly choked on the tobacco that I had just inhaled. “Well, maybe you could do some thinking while we look for some offerings, yeah?”

Dwight immediately disapproved of the idea. “I only just told him about the clearing-”

“Come on, Dwight,” David patted my shoulder once more. “He’ll need something for luck. It can be tough for newer survivors. Besides, I’ll be right there with him!”

Nea threw something into the fire and snorted. “Yeah, toughen him up as well. He seems a bit jumpy.”

I scowled at that. “I’m not jumpy…” I muttered.

Dwight waved us off, then, already fed up. “Alright, fine, just don’t take him somewhere stupid.”

“You know I’m not in control of that.” David stood up then, and looked down at me expectantly. “Come on, let’s see what we can find.”

I sighed heavily and threw the butt of the cigarette into the fire, pocketing the pack as I stood. “Alright. I guess I could use the exercise.”

“‘Atta boy!”

/ / /

The clearing seemed to be a lot farther compared to when I had been following the whispers. Or maybe I was just incredibly self aware. Either way, it took a while to get to the clearing, the one with the big rock.

We stopped by the rock, and David looked to me once more. “Right, which way?”

“Hm?”

“Which way should we go?”

I paused a moment, feeling this could somehow be a trick question. “Does it matter?”

He shrugged at the question. “Not really. It can take us to random places. All we can hope is that it doesn’t bring us to one of the more aggressive Killers’ domains.”

I nodded and looked around, pointing off to our right. “May as well head this way, then…”

David and I took off, then, and we were soon back into the forest. He eventually took the lead, guiding me through the thick brush. No words were spoken, just a silent walk through the woods.

We eventually happened upon another clearing, but this time there seemed to be an actual area rather than just a clear area with grass. The place was dark, of course, and seemed to be littered with junk… or was it metal?

The latter seemed to be more likely as there were cars piled on top of one another. Was this a junkyard?

David didn’t seem too fazed by this place. “Eh, not too bad. Could be worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s not too bad, he can just be pretty selective on his mood.”

“Who?”

“The Wraith.” He replied with a shrug. “This is his realm. The Autohaven.”

I looked around the place. Well, the cars certainly gave it away, I guessed. “Isn’t a Wraith a ghost?” I asked.

David shrugged. “More or less. Makes sense why he’s called Wraith, then.”

“Why?”

“If he’s here, you’ll see.”

I shrugged back at him and shuffled my feet slightly, looking around the realm. “So, what are we supposed to do?”

“Just look around.” He told me. “Look for flowers, and be sure to take any chalk you find. If you find anything strange, like,  _ really _ strange, show me because it could be an offering.”

I nodded and looked around once more, my eyes setting onto an old gas station. I pointed to it. “I’m gonna search through there.”

David was already gone, his eyes searching the ground and then looking into an old rusted car. I put my hands in my jean pockets, walking over to the gas station. I kept my eyes to the ground, searching the dirt and grass for any possible flowers. I wasn’t sure exactly what type of flower, but maybe it was all just one type.

I chuckled at that. Naw, this realm couldn’t hold just one type of flower. There had to be common flowers growing too, like dandelions maybe.

I reached the gas station and walked through the door. I looked around, my eyes roaming over the old, cracking walls. The shelves had long since been emptied, aside from a few rusted cans, and some old newspapers which were too faded to even read. Still, I searched the small space, looking behind the till, on the empty shelves, even inside the empty and rusted cans. Nothing.

I noticed there was another door and curiosity pulled at my mind. I went through the door and saw that it led into a garage, which had yet another broken down, rusted car inside it, the hood wide open.

I made sure to look inside the old car, finding nothing yet again, and I then looked on the old workbench, and then inside an old cabinet, opening the creaky doors. I yelped as something jumped out at me, bumping into the car behind me as I leaped back.

I heard a rattle and looked down at the floor to see it was just an old dented can… fuck, I felt stupid.

I cleared my throat and straightened myself out, dusting off my arse and brushing off the rust particles that had wiped off onto my jeans. I then did a quick search through the cabinet, finding a singular piece of cream coloured chalk. I shrugged and pocketed it. David  _ did _ say something about chalk.

I turned and left the garage, doing one more quick once over of the gas station before exiting it. I looked around the realm once more and shrugged my shoulders. David hadn’t come back yet so I assumed that I should still search around too.

I picked a car that was right next to the gas station, leaning inside the window and checking the back seats. Finding nothing, I moved to the front seats. I growled.

Still nothing.

On a whim, I opened the glove compartment, and I noticed a small key. It was still a good key, bound to fit into something.

I grabbed the key and closed the glove compartment, groaning as I felt my back crack as I leaned out of the car. Could be easier to just open the doors but then again, these cars were  _ extremely _ rusty. 

I examined the key briefly before pocketing it. Maybe there was a door that could be opened somewhere in this realm.

I turned and went to walk towards another car, but yelped as I bumped into… nothing.

Regardless, the force knocked me flat on my ass, and against the car behind me. I looked up and around and, seeing nothing, became confused. “What the fuck…” I muttered.

Then, quite suddenly, I saw something materializing before me, and I heard the loud cry of a bell. Within mere moments, a tall, looming figure was fully formed in front of me, and I felt a bit of dread at the sight.

The figure was extremely tall, almost lanky, until you reached the chest. An almost obvious male figure, who seemed extremely top-heavy. His skin was a pale-ish grey, almost brown, and chapped, resembling the bark of a tree. His eyes were a ghostly white, nearly glowing in the moonlight. He wore a cloak, made of dark grey material, which covered the majority of his torso, and nearly his waist, which was wrapped in bandages, as well as his groin and parts of his thighs.

What interested me the most was the objects he held. In one hand, he had what I assumed was a bell. A bell topped with a skull…

In the other hand, was something that sent chills down my spine. It was a weapon, obviously. A scythe. But what bothered me the most was what the scythe was made from. Another skull adorned this weapon, at the top, and along the hilt was a spine. Both the skull and spine were attached to one another, and both parts were hauntingly human in shape and size.

Blood covered the scythe…

“Oh, god…”

The creature leaned down, and I could hear his breathing, however quiet it was. It faintly resembled that of a snarling dog. And by the way this thing sniffed at me, he seemed to behave like a dog too.

I pressed myself as hard as I could against the car behind me, trying to turn my face away from him. “Please, don’t… don’t hurt me.”

He leaned away from me then, and he dropped the bell next to him. I looked as he reached under his cloak, and pulled out something from under it, presenting it to me.

“Oh…”

It was a small bunch of flowers, which had a lovely fragrance to them. He continued to hold the flowers in his seemingly dainty fingers, and I looked up at him, feeling almost damn  _ soft _ at the gesture. “Are… these for me?”

He tilted his head forward slightly. Taking that as a nod, I gently took the fragile-looking flowers from him, bringing them up to my nose and smelling them. Damn, they really smelled good!

“Uh… thank you.” I said quietly.

He didn’t respond, and just continued to stand there, his head tilted to the side, almost as if puzzled by my presence. I cleared my throat and stood up, making sure not to squish the flowers. “Um… are you the Wraith?” I asked.

He just continued to stare, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. That is, until he moved backwards and against the car that was behind him, just across from the one I was leaned against.

He sat down on the roof of it, the metal creaking underneath him. And he just kept staring. I held the flowers in my hand and shuffled my feet, unsure of what he wanted.

He seemed… dangerous enough to be a Killer. But he didn’t seem aggressive. In fact, he seemed almost  _ kind _ . And curious. Like a child discovering something or someone new.

“Um… I’m new.” I said, not quite sure yet if it was conversation he wanted or not. And yet, he seemed to perk up at that, and I continued. “Keith. That’s my name, I mean.”

He tilted his head to the other side then, like a curious puppy would. I felt myself easing up slightly around him. Wraith, most likely. A Killer. But… he seemed too gentle right now.

“Keith!!”

We both perked up at that and I looked to see David running straight for us, and I raised my hand in a waving motion. “Hey, David!”

I backed up a bit as he came charging at us, however. He was quick to put himself between me and the Wraith, and despite me not being able to see his face, I could almost  _ feel _ the rage coming from him.

“Back off!” He snarled.

Wraith seemed almost unfazed and I tapped David’s shoulder. “He’s okay! Look, he gave me this!”

I put the flowers close to his face and he seemed to visibly relax at the sight. “Wait, he  _ gave you _ this?”

“Yeah.” I replied. “Spooked me a bit, but he gave them to me. And then he just… kinda sat there.”

David took the flowers and sniffed them. “Primrose. Fresh, too.”

The Wraith seemed to growl, which made David jump. Wraith pointed to me, and David seemed to get the message immediately. “I was just seeing what they were. Calm down…”

I took the flowers again and, on a whim, put them behind my ear, enjoying the lingering smell. Wraith tilted his head once more, curious with what I did with the flowers.

I giggled a little bit. “You seem cute.” I said to the Wraith, and he seemed almost startled at the words.

“He’s not cute. He’s a Killer.”

“But he seems gentle, now.”

“You haven’t seen him in a Trial.”

David took my hand and, keeping his eye on Wraith, started leading me to where we had come from. Outside of the realm. “We’ll get out of your way.”

Wraith seemed undisturbed by us leaving, and I watched as he picked up his bell and rang it, his form disappearing, before he was completely invisible.

Interesting…

/ / /

David seemed almost upset with me, and I wasn’t really having it.

“He seemed fine!” I said with a huff. “Besides, Killers can’t kill us outside of a Trial. Dwight told me.”

His head snapped back at me, stopping dead in his tracks. “They can still hurt us!”

He stared me dead in the eyes for a few moments before turning once more, walking me through the woods.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but feel guilty from David’s scolding. Yeah, Wraith is a Killer… but he had every option and opportunity to hurt me if he wanted. I was alone before David came around. Alone and vulnerable. He could have cut or hurt me in some way. And yet, instead, he gave me flowers.

Maybe these guys were just paranoid.

In no time, we were back at the bonfire, and everyone seemed to have returned to it. Dwight stood and approached us. “Any luck?” He asked.

I removed the chalk from my pocket and showed it to him. “I found this. David told me about chalk, and thought this counted.”

He nodded. “It does. So do the primrose flowers.” He said, pointing to the flowers I tucked behind my ear.

I rubbed at the stems, feeling a little down at the mention of them being counted as an offering. I didn’t want to get rid of them. To me, in this moment, they were more a memory than an offering. A teensy gesture of kindness from a seemingly cruel creature.

I let out a teensy yawn, and rubbed at my eyes. “I’m just a bit tired from the trip there and back. I’m gonna have a little rest.”

The two men nodded. “Just be prepared when you wake up. You don’t know where you’ll be…”

I gave a thumbs up to Dwight as I walked off towards the shelters. I picked the same one I had been taken to earlier. Seeing that nobody was in it, I removed my leather jacket once more and tucked myself into the shelter. I removed the flowers from my ear and set them on top of my leather jacket, smiling to myself.

He was sweet. Maybe some of the other Killers are too, and they just don’t know it.

I lied myself down and closed my eyes, the smell of primrose wafting through the air. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a bit of humanity in some of the Killers. Maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

My eyes opened and immediately I felt like something was out of place. The air had changed, smelled more stale, with a small hint of a fresh chill.

I rubbed the blurriness out of my eyes, looking at my surroundings. The area had a bit of a green hue, and the area around me was littered with crushed metal. I had been resting next to what looked like a log cabin.

It almost  _ felt _ like autohaven, but there was a gas station last time I had been there, not a log cabin. Regardless of where I was, I knew it was a Trial. So, I got myself up and started looking for someone, not wanting to be doing the Trial alone.

The area was rather large in size, and it was just so out in the open, with very little to protect me other than the usual walls with windows. Any pallets were surrounded by tiny piles of metal junk and sometimes piles of tires. Overall, this entire area just felt very unsafe to me.

I spotted a generator around the center of the clearing, and despite my every instinct screaming for me not to, I decided to head over to it. I didn’t want to just wander around aimlessly or stand around in the open. It was better to do something productive than nothing at all while in a possibly dangerous spot.

Despite my hopes, nobody was at the generator, but I started working on it regardless. I tried plugging things in and pressing a button, but the generator never sparked to life. I was confused, at first, and looked on the other open spot to my left. Some exposed wires showed, but other than that, nothing I could really work with. Still, I decided to mess with the wires. I saw it on TV before, how hard could it be?

I grabbed the exposed wires and, carefully, started pressing the copper wiring together, creating a spark and I heard the generator doing its best to start up. I knew pressing the wires together wouldn’t do much, I had to do something to keep them together…

I thought fast and held the wires together with my fingers, the leather gloves working well as an insulator, although I did feel them getting hot very fast. I looked at the panel in front of me and quickly pressed a random button, hoping to god it would work.

Surprisingly, no explosion, and the generator hummed to life, the exhaust valve pumping in and out, dispersing the energy through the machine. I nodded and got back to work, switching places constantly to see if I could possibly speed up the process of the repairs.

Somehow, over the sound of the generator, I heard some very heavy footsteps, but they weren’t any of the other survivors’ footsteps. Weird…

But then, I heard the breathing… the  _ snarling _ .

Then, I heard the bell. The bell I heard when I first met him. The Wraith.

I did my best to dash out of the way, but I felt the heavy weight of the scythe against my back, causing me to cry out as I used the pain to help me speed away from him. He’s a Killer, I thought to myself…

Maybe he just didn’t get a good look at me, I then thought. He might remember me, might… leave me alone…

It was far fetched, but it was worth a try!

I quickly surveyed the area and, finding a pallet, stood near it, waiting for him to get closer.

“Wraith!” I called out. “Hey, remember me?!”

The Killer ignored my calls and, seeing him raise his scythe, I quickly slammed down the pallet, directly on top of him, and ran, ignoring the searing pain in my back. Jesus… maybe David was right…

I briefly looked behind me and felt relieved that I didn’t see him. Maybe he gave up or went for someone else, or got annoyed enough to leave me alone after hitting him with the pallet.

I stopped running briefly to catch my breath, feeling at my back and grimacing as my hand got coated in warm blood. Jesus, that weapon really did a number on me.

I barely caught my breath when I heard the thumping of heavy feet once more, and I quickly took off, heading straight for the log cabin I had seen earlier. Maybe I’d be able to somehow lose him in there!

The bell sounded and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and yet it wasn’t enough. The scythe came down onto my shoulder, and the pain alone was more than enough to knock me down. Oh fuck, no. No, I was  _ not _ getting hooked. Not again, not after feeling it the first time!

The Wraith picked me up and, despite the extreme pain I was in, I started struggling, doing  _ anything _ to get out of his grasp. I cursed loudly at him, smacking his shoulders, elbowing his head, and yet…

He grasped my waist and he lifted me up, and I came down swiftly onto the hook, my shriek of pain probably being heard from the other side of the Autohaven. I hung there and looked up, seeing the Wraith staring at me.

I thought he’d continue to stand there, but instead, he rang his bell and from what I could tell, wandered off, leaving me hanging there. The pain was almost unbearable, but at the same time, it seemed numbing. Beautiful numbness, not being able to feel the pain… it was almost a blessing.

I heard footsteps once more and I looked around, hoping it wasn’t the Wraith. But, thankfully, it was Jane. She grasped me under my arms and, looking around to make sure the coast was clear, lifted me straight off the hook. I hissed as the metal got pulled back through my wound, and I briefly rubbed at the hole in my shoulder, wincing both at the pain and my stupidity for touching it.

“Run.” I heard Jane tell me, before she took off into the clearing of the Autohaven. She didn’t need to tell me twice, and I took off into the log cabin, hoping it would give me some sort of safety.

The interior of the log cabin was poor. It looked like it had caved in, leaving a ramp of sorts to the second level of it. I decided to go up, feeling it would be safer.

I sat myself down, then, wincing as the wood scraped at my already abused back. The wound in my shoulder was creating most of the pain, however, as I had something tear directly through my whole body. It ached so much… no, it was worse than an ache.

The urge to be more helpful came over me and I got myself up from the floor, feeling at least energetic enough to move around. I went back down the ramp, and back to the generator I had been working on. Maybe he had found someone else to pester so I would have time to at least come close to finishing it.

I knelt down beside it and began working on it once more, breathing heavily to help tone down my groans and moans of pain. I would occasionally look around to make sure the Wraith wasn’t near me, or uncloaking himself… I didn’t want to get hooked again. Going on it once was enough, but having to go onto it a second time… I couldn’t stand the idea of having another wound in my shoulder.

I heard the distant sound of a bell, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. A generator done, which means another survivor is there. Which means the Wraith would be further off my trail.

I continued to work on it, bit by bit, occasionally switching sides to both stretch my legs and find other things to work on. I was so engrossed in my work that I had barely noticed the cry of another survivor, but I had definitely heard their shriek of pain when they got hooked.

I looked around and saw… an aura, of sorts. An aura of someone hanging. I blinked and looked again. No, my vision wasn’t going bad… it was a genuine aura of someone hanging on a damned hook!

My distraction costed me, however, and I fell back as the generator damn well near exploded in my face. “Fuck!” I cursed, running off towards… wherever the other survivor was hooked. Was probably a bad idea, since the Wraith could very well be making a beeline towards me. But I didn’t care. I was being driven by fear and a hint of adrenaline, and a bit of my compassion… they didn’t need to be on that cursed hook. I was going to fucking help them!

I ran through the autohaven, weaving between piles of wreckage and junk, and weaving between the mazes of scrapped cars, until I finally reached them.

The man on the hook was Ace, an older fellow I had met at the fire. I hardly remembered him, since it was a brief introduction…

“Hey, there, sweet cheeks…” He ground out, groaning a bit as he looked up. “Mind helping a man out?”

I nodded and, copying what Jane had done, I grasped him under the arms and used my upper body strength to heave him off the hook. He patted my shoulder, grimacing since he moved his bad arm. “Thanks, dollface!”

I was about to reply but then he immediately ran off, leaving me there by the hook, which was still dripping with fresh blood. I shivered at the sight, rubbing briefly at the wound in my own shoulder.

Once again, my own distraction and dilly-dallying around costed me, and I heard the familiar thumping of feet and the heavy breathing of the Wraith. I started taking off into a sprint, not caring to look behind me as I heard the wailing of his bell. Just find a pallet again, I thought.

Looking to the open area ahead of me, I noticed a giant construction vehicle with a claw. In front of it was a tilted car, and between them I saw the colourful wood of a pallet. Perfect!!

I briefly looked behind me to see the Wraith was hot on my trail, his scythe in hand, ready to strike at me. Not this time, I thought to myself.

Thankfully there was plenty of space between him and I by the time I reached the pallet. I didn’t want to just stand in front of the damn thing, it just felt too risky, so I tried confusing him by running around the car, and the claw holding it.

Much to my surprise, and my dismay, he caught onto my ploy a little too quickly for my taste, and I nearly ran straight into him before running in the opposite direction. I heard him snarl as he took a swing at me, and the scythe thankfully missed, hitting the car beside me with a metal  _ thunk _ . I felt the air leave my lungs as I let out a breath of relief, moving past the pallet again. Without even thinking, I turned and, using as much strength as I could, dropped the pallet. Once again, I dropped it straight on top of the Wraith, who had his scythe raised once again. The roar he let out was… far from human.

He backed out from underneath the pallet and I backed away from it, my breathing heavy and laboured, the wounds in my back and on my shoulder were not helping much at all.

Instead of breaking the pallet like I thought he would, he went around the car. I was confused, but then realized he wanted to come around the other side to grab me!

Thinking quick, I jumped over the pallet in front of me, thinking I was safe, until I looked to the ground, where I saw a red stain peeking over the edge of the back of the car. Fuck, he tricked me!

I tried jumping over the pallet again, but my hands slipped and I fell flat onto my stomach on top of it, the air leaving my lungs as I did. I then felt a hand grasp at my ankle as I was tugged back, and the Wraith heaved me onto his shoulder.

I didn’t fight. I didn’t want to. I was too fucking tired after that little encounter, and the thought of a hook going through my shoulder didn’t even motivate me. I just muttered obscenities under my breath, feeling tears dripping down my cheeks as the frustration got to me. He tricked me and my own damn clumsiness got to me… fuck.

I felt his hands go down to my hips and I braced myself as I was heaved onto the hook, and I felt the old metal tear through me once more, creating another wound on my shoulder. I let out a scream, once again unable to hold it back because of the pain I felt. I hung there for a brief moment, staring directly at the Wraith, until I saw black claws formulate around me.

I had only a brief moment to react before one claw moved in front of me, making a quick stabbing motion. Instinctively, I grabbed at it before it could pierce me, holding it back.

What was this thing?! It… wasn’t human, wasn’t even alien! It honestly just looked like massive claws, the skin I felt under my hands reminding me of a crabs’ outer shell. Red shards poked out from the joints, from what I could see.

I looked back in front of me to see the Wraith was still standing there, his head tilted to the side as if studying or pondering me. I glared, my teeth gritting from the pain of being pushed back onto the hook because of the thing trying to stab me. “Fuck you…” I sobbed, fresh tears falling down my cheeks.

I was angry. Afraid… afraid of what… dying? You couldn’t die in this realm, from what the others told me. But… I was still afraid.

The Wraith tilted his head to the other side and, looking at his glowing white eyes, I saw… almost a sadness in them? Regret? Maybe he finally recognized me… maybe he felt bad? Maybe he really  _ wasn’t _ the cold blooded killer that David said he was!

The Wraith suddenly stepped away and left me, probably on the hunt for someone else to maim. I let out another sob, and yet I didn’t let go of the claw that was trying to pierce my chest. I was holding onto the hope that someone would try to help me, that someone would save me from this thing and get me off of the hook!

I kept struggling against the thing and I heard three more bells sound, three more generators done. One more to go… I thought about the one I had been working on, how close it was to being finished. Maybe if they found that, then they’d be able to help me and get it done so we could escape!

I suddenly felt a pair of hands under my arms and I was lifted from the hook, the claws disappearing from around me and from between my hands. I looked to see that my rescuer was Ace, appearing to be good and healthy.

He turned me around suddenly and I felt him moving his hands over my wounds and I hissed, inching away from him. “Please… don’t touch them.”

He let out a chuckle. “You want my help or not?”

I paused a brief moment before nodding and he took something from out of his pocket, a bottle of some kind, and he opened the cap and squeezed something into his hand. It looked like cream, kinda like what Claudette used to heal the hook wound I had!

He started rubbing it on the wounds inflicted by the Wraith, taking care as to rub them directly into the wounds themselves, and I did my best not to flinch away, hoping the pain from them would go away quickly.

Ace then rubbed the cream onto the hook wounds, the back first, then he turned me around to rub cream onto the front of the wounds. Once he was done, he put the bottle back into his pocket and patted my good shoulder. “Looks like I still have a little bit of luck left, eh, Keith?”

I nodded and patted his shoulder in return. “Thanks, Ace.”

He was about to take off but I quickly stopped him, grabbing at his arm. “Wait, we only need one more generator - there was one I was working on earlier!”

He gestured in front of him. “Lead the way, then!”

I guided him back where I came from, leading him past the claw, where the pallet was now destroyed, through the mazes of crushed cars, and into the clearing past them, where I saw the log cabin and next to it, the generator. The pumps were still moving so it seemed that the Wraith hadn’t touched it!

We both ran for it, weaving through the piles of junk and hopping onto the machinery. I was quick to start fiddling with the wires and gears, the ones that were safe to touch, the hope of escaping filling me.

Maybe we  _ would _ make it out alive!!

My hopes, however, became dashed when I heard snarling, almost right next to me. When Ace ran off, I assumed that the Wraith would chase after him, and I did my best to use my time to try and keep working on the generator.

The wailing of his bell sounded next to me, but I ignored it. Almost there… I could feel it!

Just as the generator finished, I was pulled off of it and heaved onto the Wraith’s shoulder once more, and I fought. I fought him as hard as I could, twisting, writing, almost damn near pulling myself off his shoulder, but he kept adjusting his grip, keeping me on his shoulder.

Suddenly, his motions were halted, and he lashed out with his scythe, and I heard him snarl as he missed. Doing my best to look around in my position, I noticed Nea and Ace were doing their best to keep the Wraith from getting me onto a hook. I quickly turned my attention back to wiggling in the Killer’s grasp, grunting and groaning as I struggled.

I heard the click of a flashlight, and suddenly, I was dropped, and the Wraith roared in frustration. I hardly had time to catch my breath before Ace grabbed my arm. “This way!” He shouted, pulling me in what I could only assume was the direction of an exit gate.

As we pulled up on it, I noticed Jane was holding the lever down, and the exit gate was nearly opened, the gears moaning and groaning as it started to pry itself open.

I heard a cry behind me and Nea started running past us, holding her side which was now bleeding profusely. Thankfully, the gate was fully opened by the time we reached it, and we all piled through, and I didn’t even look back even when I heard Nea cussing at the Wraith.

I just wanted to get the fuck out!

/ / /

I breathed a very heavy sigh of relief to see the glow of the campfire as we moved through the fog, using the last of my energy to sprint towards it. Aside from David, the campfire was practically devoid of life. Not that I cared too much. All I cared about was that we survived!

David stood up as he saw us coming, a smile spreading on his face. “Good to see you all made it!” He exclaimed, giving us each a pat on the arm or shoulder.

Ace ruffled my hair, to which I quickly shoved his hand off. “Thanks to this guy, we made it out! He has a determined spirit!”

“I didn’t do much…” I said, rubbing my arm nervously.

“You lead that stupid Wraith around for a bit, and not to mention you stayed on the last generator when I ran off. You almost risked your damn life in there!”

I blushed a bit and shrugged. “Well, you know… Gotta do what you gotta do.” I said quietly.

David gave my arm a good punch and I hissed, rubbing at it. That was for sure going to bruise…

“Don’t sell yourself short, mate! You did bloody well, for a rookie!”

I heard Nea scoff. “Yeah, but his luck is gonna run out soon.” She said, and I immediately felt my confidence deflate at her words.

“No such thing as beginner’s luck here, Nea.” Ace replied to her. “And I should know.”

She waved him off and moved towards the shelters, still holding her side. I looked on for a bit before looking to the others. “She gonna be okay?”

Jane sat down on a log and she chuckled. “She’s a lot tougher than she looks. She’ll be fine with some proper rest and some medical attention.”

I nodded in response and I sat myself down on another log, taking my cigarette pack out of my pocket along with my lighter. As I lit it up and took a deep drag of it, I felt the presence of two people on either side of me. I assumed it was David and Ace.

I felt my leg begin to bounce, something I couldn’t stop due to my anxiety. It was just two people next to me, but goddamn I still felt anxious around these other survivors…

“Why so nervous, sweet cheeks?” Ace asked me, nudging me a bit with his elbow. I shrugged a bit and took another drag of the cigarette.

“After-trial jitters, I guess.” I replied.

He moved himself a bit closer to me. “You did good though, Keith…”

I heard David scoff beside me. “Lay off, Ace. He’s new.”

Ace chuckled at him. “Can’t blame me, David. He has a cute face. And nobody else here is-”

“He’s. New.”

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable between them and I wiggled a bit in my spot. “I’m not cute…” I mumbled under my breath, feeling a slight blush painting my cheeks.

“I think I want to just… go out and find more offerings…”

“By yourself?” David asked, incredulous.

“After a trial like that, I don’t blame him for needing to move around.” Ace chuckled.

Sure, let’s go with that, I thought. 

I quickly finished my smoke and sat up, throwing the butt into the fire. “Well, if someone wants to come with me, they can.”

Ace quickly stood up. “May as well. We could get to know each other better.” He gave me a wink.

“Yeah, sure…”


	5. Chapter 5

We came upon the clearing and I looked around, pondering which way to go. Not that it mattered, since we'd end up in a random location every time according to David, but I liked variety.

I shrugged and decided to go to the left of the rock, putting my hands in my jean pockets. Ace was walking beside me, and when my eyes flickered to him, he was looking straight at me.

"What?" I asked, kicking at a stone in front of me.

"Nothing, Keith." He gave me a shrug. "Just trying to figure you out."

"What's to figure out? You just met me, and you're not the type to read people."

"How do you know?"

The trees started to become less frequent and I knew we were starting to head into a realm. "I just do. I'm one of those kinds of people: a watcher. An observer. You're not the type to be like that."

I heard him chuckle at that. "Is that so? Well, then, what have you observed about me?"

I felt something moist hit my face but I thought nothing of it. "Not much. But, you seem to carry yourself with confidence. You seem sure of yourself no matter what." I then gave him a look. "You also seem like a casanova."

He laughed loudly, then, his smile wide and almost genuine. "'A casanova'; I haven't heard that term in a long while!"

More droplets of water started to hit me and I shook my head a bit, feeling some of the moisture shake from my hair. "Hold on, is there weather changes here? Because it's starting to rain."

Ace shook his head. "No… but I know a couple of places where it does rain."

"Where?"

"The Red Forest." He replied.

My interest piqued at that. "I know that spot! That's around Chernobyl!"

Ace just looked confused. "What?"

"Chernobyl? The Nuclear disaster?"

He still looked lost and I sighed, and the rain started becoming heavier. "There was a nuclear disaster that happened in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. Used to be in Russia, though."

"Sweetheart, I don't come from that time."

"What time do you come from, then?"

"I come from-"

I raised my hand to shush him. "Wait, hold that thought…"

The trees had cleared and the rain was coming down in a steady pour, although there was no thunder or lightning. The area we were in was muddy, filled with brush and pine trees. I could see off in the distance a small structure made from logs, as well as a larger structure. It didn't seem like we would find much here, but it felt relaxing to be there.

"This place seems nice!" I commented. "Relaxing!" I started walking around the area, looking up at the tall trees, enjoying the fresh smell of rain and pine.

Ace didn't seem to agree with me and he hesitated in following me. "Listen, Keith, I think we should find another place to look for offerings…"

I turned to face him and I shrugged my shoulders. "Why? It doesn't look like anyone's here, and we might find some flowers!"

The man started to appear antsy, looking around precariously. "Yeah, it seems that way, but someone could still be here…"

I crossed my arms, starting to feel irked at his sudden change in attitude. "Why? Who lives here, and why is it making you so scared."

He suddenly puffed up at that, and it confirmed my suspicions about his ego and pride. He didn't want to be seen as a coward. "I'm not afraid. Just cautious. The Huntress lives here, and she's… well, she doesn't seem to like men being in her territory."

I gave a shrug. "Well, that's her problem, not ours."

I started walking away and I heard Ace sprint towards me, judging from the muddy footsteps behind me were any indication. He suddenly grabbed my shoulder and I whipped around, staring him dead in the eyes. "Look, Killers can't do anything to us outside of trials, unless that was a lie."

"It wasn't, but-"

"Then quit being a pussy and let's get moving! The sooner we find something, the sooner we-"

My sentence was cut short by a loud cry, and I heard something flying through the air at an intense speed. I had barely any time to register that happening before something flew between us. I jumped back and yelped in surprise, looking in the direction the object flew.

It embedded itself into a tree that wasn't too far from us, and I could see it was a hatchet. Polished clean, it seemed, and very sharp…

I heard a female voice shouting, and I looked around, confused as to where it was coming from. I heard another cry, and instinctively I ran in the direction of one of the log structures, hoping that the hatchet would miss me.

"Keith!" I heard Ace shout. "Don't go that way!"

I whipped around, giving him an incredulous look. "Where the fuck else am I supposed to go?!"

Another cry, and a hatchet flew past Ace, which caused him to yelp and sprint off somewhere. I tracked the direction of the hatchet, back where it had come from.

There, through the rain and trees, I saw a tall woman of thicker stature. Not like Jane, but more built, muscular. She wore no shoes, but wore pants and something akin to a skirt. A belt was around her waist, holding small hatchets, and her top consisted of nothing but a white stained sweater. I was hoping to see her face, but instead, I saw a wooden mask, carved to impersonate a rabbit. The craftsmanship was excellent, and the only blemish was the left ear was broken at the tip. A veil was on the back of the mask, which covered her hair.

In her left hand was a large axe. It appeared heavy, the shaft strong, and the edge of the weapon looked deathly sharp...

Her gaze suddenly shifted to me and I froze in place, scared out of my wits. Huntress… Now I realize why she was called that.

I half expected her to reach for another one of her hatchets, but instead her stance shifted from an aggressive one, to relaxed. But she still seemed defensive. The large woman then slowly started approaching me, and I could hear a faint humming. Was it coming from her?

She didn't stop her approach until she was standing almost directly in front of me, and only then did I notice her eyes… a soulless black.

Jesus, that was unnerving!

I waved my hand nervously and attempted a smile. "Uh… hello."

"Еще один драгоценный ребенок…"

I was now confused, not understanding what she was saying. "Uh… what?"

She dropped her axe and suddenly, her hands were all over me, raising my arms, moving my head from side to side, and she stepped around me all the while, as if examining me. "Они уже причинили вам вред, Моя милая девочка?"

I started to think quickly. This was the Red Forest, an area that used to belong to Russia. So, perhaps this woman was Russian! I didn't know much other than a few words, but I could try.

"Angliyskiy? English?" I asked, hoping my pronunciation wasn't off.

She seemed to understand, thankfully, and bless her heart, she suddenly hugged me. "Poor little girl…" She said, her accent thick. "Sweet child…"

I felt almost crushed by this woman's strength, and I tried pushing her away, but she held me close. "Um… I'm a boy…" I tried correcting her.

Despite having a possibly two-hundred-plus pound, six foot tall Russian hugging the life out of me, I was still able to look around, and I saw Ace staring at us in disbelief, his mouth agape in shock.

Huntress seemed to notice too, and she suddenly growled low, much like a wild animal would, and she released me, grabbing a hatchet from her belt and aiming it at him. "You, leave!"

I grabbed her arm and tugged it back (or tried to). She looked back at me, and her snarl was suddenly gone.

"Friend…" I told her, pointing at Ace. "My friend…" I pointed to myself.

She seemed to understand, and she lowered her hatchet, although tossing Ace a dirty look. "Why are you here?" She asked, turning her attention to me as she picked up her axe.

I stood there, shuffling my feet in the mud. "Offerings, for the trials."

"The hunts?"

I nodded, thinking that that's what she called the trials.

She started walking away and Ace approached me, patting my shoulder. "Don't know how you did it, but she seems to like you."

The Huntress turned and made a 'come hither' gesture. "Come! I have things for you!"

I gave Ace a confused look, to which he shrugged, and we both followed the woman towards the bigger log structure, which I assumed was her dwelling of sorts.

She stepped through the open door, which was covered only by a curtain, and we both entered, and when I looked around I was in shock.

The dwelling had torches to keep the place lit up, and in the centre of the home was a table, with plates and silverware on it. A rug was underneath the table, which consisted of intricate patterns.

"A lovely home…" I murmured.

Huntress walked towards a set of stairs which lead to a second story of the dwelling, and she held up her hand. "Wait here."

Ace and I stood there awkwardly, as she went to do, well, whatever it was she was doing. Ace nudged me with his elbow, grabbing my attention.

"So, how did you do it?"

"Huh?"

"You seemed to tame her, I guess. She's normally a very wild woman which is why I wanted to turn back. If it wasn't for you, she would have thrown that hatchet at me."

I gave him a helpless shrug. "She thinks I'm a girl? I don't know. She just seems really soft towards me and I can't explain it."

Ace was just about to say something else before the thumping of feet interrupted him. Huntress was walking down the stairs, a small bundle in her hands. "Take these. Flowers. I have no use for them."

I took them from her hands and I gave her a small smile. "Thank you!"

She smiled back tenderly. "Now go. Have things to do."

Ace was quick in leaving the small dwelling, and I followed close behind him, heading back the way we had come from.

I briefly looked back over my shoulder and was only somewhat disappointed that she wasn't there. She seemed like such a sweet woman. Or maybe it was just my heart hoping for some form of humanity in these… Killers.

Feeling very down suddenly, I let out a deep sigh and Ace nudged me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I quickly handed him the bundle. "Just take these back to the fire. I want to be left alone."

"That isn't-"

"Yes yes, I know Killers can still hurt us outside of trials, but I'll be fine." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Besides, your luck seemed to have rubbed off on me."

He puffed up a bit at that. "Well, when you put it that way…"

I patted his shoulder. "Thanks, Ace."

/ / /

I was alone in the middle of the clearing, leaning against the rock as I smoked a cigarette.

This place was just so unrealistic, I still felt like it was all somehow a dream. And yet, I felt things, could touch things, would wake up in this realm after every damn time I slept.

David made the Killers like they were just that; Killers. And yet, with the few I've met, they have some sort of humanity in them. The Huntress was just like a big mother bear. Defensive, protective and sweet. The Wraith, he felt guilt. I had seen it in his eyes, like he didn't enjoy doing what he was doing.

The Ghostface was a sadistic monster, from what I could tell. A human, by all accounts, but still sadistic, taking joy in pain. Being turned on by it.

I shuddered at the thought, taking one last drag of my cigarette before tossing it to the ground, dousing it under my shoe.

It is also possible that Wraith pretended to be nice because of David. If Killers can hurt survivors outside of trials, survivors can hurt them in turn.

I briefly wondered if it was the same inside of trials.

Taking a deep breath, I wandered back onto the path that would lead me to the fire, where the other survivors would be. My thoughts were still swirling, but if I surrounded myself with some people, then maybe I'd be able to calm my mind down.

Maybe.

I heard some chatter as I approached the fire, and I could see that almost all the spaces there were filled up by the survivors, which I thought was strange, considering how often trials happened.

I caught Jake's attention however, and he nodded to me. "Heard you encountered the Huntress. How'd that work out for you?"

I shrugged and sat in the only available spot, on a stump next to Dwight. "Pretty well. She threw hatchets at us but it ended up with her giving us stuff."

"That's a shock." Dwight said. "She usually hates the guys."

Another shrug. "She didn't think I was a boy. I also ended up nearly having my back snapped from a hug she gave me."

Dead silence, then, and I suddenly felt very small. "Why all the surprised expressions?"

Meg quickly spoke up. "Even outside of trials, she's never that… sweet. What got her to like you so much?"

"I dunno."

"Well whatever it was, you were fortunate." She then stated.

Another silence fell around the fire and for once, I didn't feel so uncomfortable with it. It was still very hard, accepting that this was my permanent fate, my own personal hell, but at least there were people here to help me through it.

/ / /

Time passed and a few trials happened, although I was never pulled into one. I never felt tired, so I never slept. Never felt that pull of the fog, nothing. And in the time that passed, although talking to other survivors and getting to know them was nice, it was also boring. There wasn't much to do, and it honestly sucked.

Currently it was just me and Jeff sitting around the fire. A few others were out searching for offerings, and others were in trials. It felt a little awkward having him sitting there drawing while I just sat and did nothing, so I tried filling in the silence.

"You're an artist too?"

"Hm?"

I gestured to his sketchbook. "You're an artist as well?"

He suddenly seemed interested. "You draw?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, not as much as I used to, though."

"Hmm…"

A few more moments passed and I couldn't help but ask, "Is it alright if I see what you're drawing?"

He shrugged a bit. "Um… I guess?"

I stood up and walked over, sitting myself next to him on the log. He tilted the sketchbook to me as I leaned over to look.

It was a portrait. Of me. And it was in such amazing detail as well! Forget the fact that he was just drawing me this whole time, I was just amazed at how great of an artist this man was!

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed. "You're so talented; honestly I'm jealous! I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and I've never been able to get that amount of detail in drawings!"

Jeff seemed taken aback by my sudden burst of energy, but he smiled. "Thank you."

He suddenly flipped to another page, an empty one, and handed the pencil and sketchbook to me, and I became confused before he said, "You said you draw, right? I'd like to see."

I smiled brightly. "Alright."

I immediately set to work. I was wondering if I would do chibi drawings or something basic, and decided to go the Zentangle route, starting off with drawing basic squiggles and lines first. My hand moved over the book with ease, the sound of the pencil led moving against the paper satisfying and relaxing. It was something familiar in an unfamiliar world.

Time was no longer on my mind as I lost myself in the drawing, my hand seeming to move on its own accord, muscle memory starting to kick in. Although most zentangles I had forgotten the names of, I definitely didn't forget how to draw them. Soon enough, I was already working on the details and shading, smudging the areas that needed to be blended, hatching and cross hatching, stippling, or even just fully colouring in areas.

Once I was finished, on instinct, I marked the drawing with my artist signature, nodding in satisfaction. "Just… one of the things I can do." I told Jeff, handing him the sketchbook and pencil.

He examined my work and I wrung my hands together, feeling a bit nervous. He smiled, however, and looked at me. "You definitely are talented. I can draw people but I can't draw things like these."

The nervousness left me and I beamed. "Thanks!"

Our gaze held for a few moments, and for a brief second, I thought I felt something. A connection, a spark, with Jeff. A connection over something we both have a passion for.

He looked like he was about to say something, before he went back to his drawing.

Without even thinking, I asked, "Something on your mind?"

His hand stopped moving over the paper and gripped the pencil a bit tighter. Nervousness, debating if he should say what he wants to say. It's something personal, most likely.

"Look, we're stuck here forever, yeah?" I offered. "It's gonna come out eventually."

He shook his head a bit and continued drawing. "You're new here. Don't want to offend you."

I laughed at that. "I'm rarely offended by anything. It takes a lot to offend me."

His hand stopped once more. His leg started to bounce slightly, another nervous tick, and I could tell he was heavily debating something. But I waited patiently. My curiosity was piqued, and I wasn't about to let it go. Probably.

"Well… like you said, we're stuck here forever. And… you don't have to say yes to this, either. I was just thinking-"

I immediately caught the hint and held up my hand to stop him. "You asking if we can hook up?"

He was taken aback, no doubt, and he said nothing, confirming my suspicions. My hand lowered to my knee and I gave him a look. "That's it?" I couldn't hold back the small laugh that came from me. "Sure, why the hell not?"

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Just… didn't want to scare you off. Or make things awkward."

"Trust me, I've been around the block a time or two. Don't mind a little fun every so often."

He stood up, leaving his sketchbook on the log, and I stood with him. He grabbed my hand and lead me towards the small shacks that were set up. "Hold on, won't someone hear us when they come back?" I asked.

"Trust me… they won't really care if they do."


End file.
